2/16/2018: REZ SISTERS SUMMARY:
With Native Americans they tended to focus on religious rituals, shared values, and communal celebrations of Native American tribes. They are more interactive because they actually use audience members to convey their themes and play scenes. The diverse genre of the natives changed drastically when they were met with foreigners. Before introduction to other races Native Americans had many plays about the creation of the world. These plays showed the unity of Cosmic halves, the survival of crops, and the persistence of ritual sustainability within the tribes. While much of Native American theatre was destroyed when whites took over their land, contemporary Native American theatre still persists today, albeit very low in numbers. This type of theatre aims to bring together rituals and beliefs passed on from European-American drama traits. These contemporary pieces are a better representation of Indians in present society.
With Native Americans they tended to focus on religious rituals, shared values, and communal celebrations of Native American tribes. They are more interactive because they actually use audience members to convey their themes and play scenes. The diverse genre of the natives changed drastically when they were met with foreigners. Before introduction to other races Native Americans had many plays about the creation of the world. These plays showed the unity of Cosmic halves, the survival of crops, and the persistence of ritual sustainability within the tribes. While much of Native American theatre was destroyed when whites took over their land, contemporary Native American theatre still persists today, albeit very low in numbers. This type of theatre aims to bring together rituals and beliefs passed on from European-American drama traits. These contemporary pieces are a better representation of Indians in present society.